To blend is to harmonize, to produce a desired quality. Blending with the Holy Spirit produces the Jesus-mind quality, the quality the Bride will have, saith the Lord, in this final hour. No mind, other than the mind of Jesus, has ever blended more thoroughly with the Holy Spirit than Paul’s mind. What a marvelous mind he had!

To blend is to mix: Paul’s mind mixed together with the Holy Spirit, united with the mind of the Holy Spirit. To blend is to go together: Paul’s mind and the Holy Spirit went together. The study of the blend of Paul and the Holy Spirit is fascinating. Through that fantastic blend, the Lord poured fourteen book of the precious Holy Bible. What a mind! The Bride, too, will have the same mind, a mind blended completely with the Holy Spirit, giving her the mind of Jesus.

The book of Philippians shows the greatness of Paul’s mind, a wonderful pattern for us to follow. Even more amazing are the depths from which Paul rose to reach this blend with the Holy Spirit. He once had been a murderer of Christians, blaspheming the Word of the Lord. Then the change came. On the road to Damascus Paul was made completely new.

Paul became a magnificent vessel for the Lord, giving his all for Christ: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:10,11).

His knowing Jesus was the key to Paul’s mind, to the great blend with the Holy Spirit. Do you really know Jesus in all living reality? Do you know Him better than you know your loved ones? better than you know anyone else on Earth? Do you know what He will do, what He won’t do?

You don’t always know what people will do, but you can know what Jesus will do. Know Him; know the power of His Resurrection, the power that brought Him out of the grave. That power dwells in the Bride; it is the power through which she will be caught away with Jesus when He comes the second time.

To be conformable to His death is to become similar, to take on the same form of strength, intent and power to stand even to death. Stephen had that intent. Paul had that intent, that reality of the Resurrection; and the Bride has that same intent, that same reality. When you have been made conformable unto His death, then without a doubt you, too, have that hope.

Paul knew Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings; he suffered much for His name’s sake, and he did not break fellowship with Jesus.

Never break fellowship with the Lord in the trying times. If you break that fellowship, it takes a long time to return to it. The Bride will not break that fellowship no matter what comes her way. Remember these words; let them burn on the altar of your heart: Know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings!

Paul, speaking of the fellowship of sufferings, was not referring to sickness and disease, but to persecutions that came through taking a stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings? Have you been persecuted for His name’s sake? Use His power; fellowship with Him those times you are persecuted for His name’s sake. Many have not walked in that fellowship, and they are weak because of it. You must walk in the fellowship of His sufferings to be strong, for the Bride will suffer persecution. Asking to walk in the steps of Jesus is really asking for everything He suffered. Years ago the Lord explained to me what it meant when I asked for all of Jesus. I cried and cried as I heard what He had to say. He told me that I had asked to be despised by man, to be betrayed by friends. I had asked for the suffering of the Garden of Gethsemane, for the crown of thorns. I had asked to be hated by the world and loved by God. I didn’t know that I had asked for all of that, but I didn’t back down. It made me stronger to know the persecutions. My life is on the altar of sacrifice for Him, conformed to Him even unto death.

To be conformed means to have obedience, submission. Paul said he was being made conformable, obedient unto death for the sake of Jesus if that were what the Lord willed. Paul knew Him, and the Bride will know Him. Never will she be separated from His love for time or eternity. She will be persecuted. How many members of the bridal company have been and will be sacrificed as Stephen of old was sacrificed? Only God knows, and only God knows what we will face in this final hour. But with the Apostle Paul’s mind of I am ready, the Bride will be willing to do whatever is required of her. She is ready, and she is staying ready for anything and everything in His divine will.

Someone once asked me if it were wrong to ask for God’ permissible will instead of His divine will. What would God think about it? Refusing God’s divine will has hindered many Christians down through the years. If you don’t walk in God’s divine will, you may make it to Heaven, but you won’t receive all of God’s divine blessings. The Bride will not walk even one day in God’s permissible will. She will walk in the divine will of God, saith the Lord.

How the Philippians rejoiced to receive this wonderful letter from Paul! They must have loved him very much, and I know he felt great love for them. Their fellowship was valuable to him, and they were always in his prayers. He wrote, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:3-6).

Paul endured many lonely hours. He couldn’t stay in one place. God was forever sending him to new mission fields. Through all the persecutions, he could never forget how wonderful Jesus was to him. Paul wrote: If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (Philippians 2:1,2). If you have that consolation in Christ, Paul was saying, that I know you have, that comfort of His love and the fellowship of the Spirit, if in your innermost being His mercy is there, then you fulfill my joy.

In one accord, in one mind with Jesus, the Bride will be a joy to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can bring you into the great mind of Jesus, the only one who can give you that blend.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). How wonderful to be in a church where the Holy Spirit can work freely, where nothing is done in the congregation through strife or egotism! All the glory is heaped upon the Lord. Each member holds up the others rather than himself. Lord, bless that one! That one is more worthy than me. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Philippians 2:4). Look and thank God for the prosperity of others. God hates a selfish spirit, one always jealous of those who are blessed. The devil uses that jealousy to make people resent God, to feel that God doesn’t love them.

In His spirit of humility, Jesus humbled Himself even to the death on the cross. Jesus being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus came not for worldly approval but to bring salvation and deliverance to a lost world, to bring light to a world of darkness, to show man the way to Heaven. Jesus, the divine Son of God made in the likeness of man, took on the form of a servant. What humility He showed us! He became obedient to death: No humility can exceed the humility of Jesus. Jesus brought the humility of Heaven to Earth, the humility of God’s heart.

Paul said, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). He wanted others to be blessed. This is the kind of mind Paul had, the kind the Bride will have. No wonder she will be such a power in this last hour; no wonder the devils will fear and tremble before her, no wonder she will deliver multitudes from the clutches of the devil!

Philippians 2:12 makes an astounding statement: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. This verse has been a stumbling block for many. Saying they are to work out their own salvation, some people exclude the blood of Jesus from the process. The work of God has been hurt because they decided salvation came through their own efforts and not through believing on the blood of Jesus to make them new creatures. Thinking they were saved when they were not, they brought shame to the work of God and turned others away from Him. People looked at their false doctrine, thought it was true Christianity and wanted no part of it.

When you receive a personal experience of salvation, you work with the Holy Spirit who shows you how to act, how to deal with people, how and when to talk to them. You work out your own salvation in the wisdom and knowledge of God, in all the love, peace and greatness of God. Yielding to the Holy Ghost, the teacher perfect in all His ways, you will be obedient to the Word of God and your life will be a blessing.

In the wilderness, Paul learned much, received direction from the Lord and found how to please Him. With the blend of the Holy Spirit, Paul worked out his own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul knew what to say, what not to say; he knew the workings of the Holy Spirit. He knew what the Holy Spirit would do and what He would not do. Paul gave the Philippians the Gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching them to work out their salvation with the Holy Spirit as their guide, their teacher. Just as the Holy Spirit taught Paul so much, the Holy Spirit, when you yield all to Him, will teach you how to act, what to say to please God, and how the will of God can be worked out in your life.

Paul lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit in I Corinthians 12. In I Corinthians 14 he writes about speaking in tongues. He explains the difference between the congregational tongue and the devotional tongue, and goes on to say, forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order (I Corinthians 14:39,40).

Those who have tried in self to work out their own salvation, excluding the Holy Spirit, have experienced a great lack in their lives. The devil uses self as a stumbling block, for self reaches out to anything it can to rationalize wrongdoing.

The Bible gives you direction on how to live, how to walk the narrow road to Heaven. The Bible clearly says that the soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). In I John we read: He that committeth sin is of the devil (I John 3:8). For sin shall not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14). Through the blood of Jesus you can live free from sin; the road to Heaven is a narrow road, a sinless road, a holy road. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it (Isaiah 35:8). Any speck of sin in your life will thrust you off that road, for only the holy will walk it. No one who commits sin is holy. Committing any kind of sin willfully before God puts you on the wrong road.

When you work out your own salvation with the Holy Spirit, He lets you know at once if you are wrong. If temper starts rising destructively, if you begin to say something you have no business saying, the Holy Spirit checks you. However, if you persist in overriding His checks, you will sear your conscience and no longer feel that what you are doing is wrong.

Many in the Christian world have seared their consciences; they say what they want and don’t feel guilty when their words cause harm. Always seeming to find excuses to justify themselves, they are not justified in the sight of God.

When you are yielded to the Holy Spirit, He will let you know if you are mistreating another, whether it be in your home, on the job or wherever. The Holy Spirit works on the inside. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). God works in you to give you the will to do His pleasure. He has no pleasure in anything that belongs to the devil, in anything connected to the seventeen works of the flesh.

Be an instrument in God’s hands; don’t try to control others. It’s enough that you learn to control yourself. In other words, mind your own business. You hurt, offend others by pushing into their concerns. Jesus said, Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6). Be careful. Pray one for another (James 5:16). If you think someone needs help, pray for him, and let the Lord work His good will through you. You tie the hands of God when you meddle; meddlesome people are not a pleasure to Him. He cannot work His will through those who offend. God wants you to say kind, loving, tender words to people. He gives His messengers the Word of God. Rather than telling others what to do, through the Holy Spirit work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul in writing to the Corinthians gives us added insight into his character: For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible (II Corinthians 10:10). Paul told the Corinthians the truth, the pure Word of God without compromise. He was called to preach the Word, to serve Jesus to the people, not his own will and wishes. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called (I Corinthians 7:20).

Paul said, For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge (II Corinthians 11:5,6). Because Paul told people what they needed to know rather than what they may have wanted to hear, his speech was called rude. He was a mouthpiece for the Lord, and he told people just what the Lord gave him.

God’s ministers will give account to Him for how they present His message. Those who alter God’s words to suit their own opinions are enemies of Christ.

Paul knew the Lord; he had the knowledge of Him, knowledge of holy living, of what God wants people to do. What Paul was and what he taught were plain for all to see. He said: We have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things (II Corinthians 11:6). Paul didn’t want people claiming that their own opinions were the will of God. Man’s opinions change; what once was considered unacceptable is now accepted. The Gospel is the standard, not doctrine that detours from it. People have been hindered again and again by misguided ideas of what would make them holy.

When, at age eighteen, I was seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, someone told me if I would get rid of my pin and the handkerchief in my breast pocket, I would receive the Holy Ghost. Pride in my pin and handkerchief were holding me back from being baptized in the Holy Ghost—according to him. It hadn’t occurred to me that this was the problem, and I quickly put away my pin and handkerchief. I wanted nothing to hinder me from receiving the Holy Ghost. The next time in church seeking the Holy Ghost—without the pin and handkerchief—I didn’t receive Him. I realized the block wasn’t those things at all. I stopped listening to that man. I felt sorry for him; I was polite, but I realized he needed prayer. Looking plain on the outside is not what will get you to Heaven, but how glorious you look on the inside. Don’t try to impose your opinions on others.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world (Philipians 2:14,15). Did you complain one time today, yesterday, last week? How much have you murmured since you began following the Lord? The blameless will shine as lights, but those who murmur will not have the inner light to shine. Keep the Word out front, and it will be what you see.

It takes time for the Holy Spirit to work with people. Don’t interfere; let Him work freely. God knows about people, and as long as the Holy Spirit is dealing with them, give Him plenty of room. Wait until the Lord wants you to move in, until the person is ready to hear thus saith the Lord, and then tell exactly what God gives you; no more, no less. If the person is honest and really wants help, he will follow the direction of the Lord. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain (Philippians 2:16). The Word of life is your treasure.

Timothy was a great help to Paul, and Paul knew he would bless everyone he ministered to. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s (Philippians 2:19-21). Paul loved Timothy, called him his son. That son had a mind like his spiritual father, a mind blended with the Holy Spirit.

Paul quite bluntly talks about the failure of the Philippians to carry on the work, and the toll that failure took on Epaphroditus, another of his workers: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me (Philippians 2:30). The people to whom Paul was writing had not stood by Paul, and so Epaphroditus did all he could to fill in the gap. Paul had shown great love for his fellow workers. He writes in Philippians 4:1, Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Paul had the same love for those who worked with him that Jesus had for His disciples when He was here on Earth. That is the kind of love we are to have for our brothers and sister in Christ. Jesus said, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35).

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (Philippians 3:2). Paul did not mince words. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). Do you trust in the flesh or in God? I hear many say they trust in God, but their actions prove otherwise. In facing adversity they fall apart instead of looking to God to take them through. Their confidence is in the flesh, and when the flesh around them begins to falter, fear takes over. If someone turns against them, they think it’s the end of the world.

Don’t put your confidence in flesh; flesh is weak. When the life of God goes out of it, flesh returns to the dust of the earth. You will have to be glorified to last an eternity.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Philippians 3:8). Paul counted confidence in the flesh, in the material things of the world as nothing. The knowledge of Christ Jesus was what mattered to him. Some people have self-pity parties, moaning about and magnifying their troubles. If they were full of God, they would be praising Him instead of feeling sorry for self.

Paul wanted all of Jesus, the Pearl of Great Price. He wanted to be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith (Philippians 3:9). The Pharisees breathed self-righteousness, lived it; and Paul, once a Pharisee himself, now was outspoken in his judgment of them. He told people that by faith the righteousness of Jesus was theirs, not self-righteousness, not the righteousness under the Law. The holy righteousness of Jesus is your heritage.

Paul continues: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12). Paul means he hasn’t arrived, hasn’t come to the place in the Lord that he wants to be.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13,14). The mark of the calling of God is in front of you, not behind. The word press means to push steadily against something, to urge, to drive on. Paul counted the calling of God a prize; he considered suffering for the name of Jesus to be a prize, a privilege to take His place. Paul treasured all that was furnished him through the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.

Keep the Word before you and press toward the things of God. His blessings are before you, not behind. Some of you live in the past. When you live in the past, you reap the warmed-over blessings of the past. The Lord gave you new life. Why look back on the old? The devil takes you into the past; the Lord lives with you in the present and takes you into the future. Look in the direction you plan to go. Do you think you are all right when, in fact, you are really afraid of today and tomorrow? That fear can make the past seem inviting. Others go to the past again and again to fume over some injustice real or imagined. Reliving unpleasant experiences is like walking back for someone to spit on you again. Forget those times; the Holy Spirit will wipe them out of mind if you allow Him to.

Let the joy of the Lord that sustains you in the bad times be yours. The joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Be rich in joy, the joy of the Lord. His joy brings great strength, but you must reach for it, use it and don’t look back. When God calls you to do something, He supplies the extra power and greatness for you to accomplish what He wants done. You are fully equipped by Him.

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect [perfect in God’s love], be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing (Philippians 3:15,16). Paul stressed the importance of unity in the believers, being one in Christ. The power that changed Him at the resurrection will also change the born-again believers, those filled with the Holy Spirit and totally obedient to Him.

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20). Do you have a conversation that would be acceptable in Heaven? If your conversation is not holy, it is not acceptable to the Lord. Those who live a double life rather than being one with the Lord wouldn’t dare put into their prayers some of the things they have been talking about. God cannot use the double-minded, those who justify trashy conversation by insisting it’s the truth. To pass on unpleasant things about people is to pass on the devil’s wares, to be a spokesman for the devil. Why try to find what is wrong in people when you could find what is right? A faultfinder is open to the faultfinding of others. Do not be critical and destructive in your talk; do not murmur and complain. The Lord wants your conversation to be pure, clean, gentle, tender, holy and edifying. Take on the language of Heaven.

Paul took on a mind altogether different from the mind he once had. Taking on the mind of Jesus is a privilege that belongs to every child of God. With the mind of Christ, you can be sure you conversation is acceptable to Heaven. Jesus said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always (John 11:41,42). The Father always heard Jesus, and He always hears those whose conversations are holy. The wrong conversation breaks that connection with the Lord. Some people don’t believe God always hears them, for if they did, they wouldn’t spew out hateful words and go into temper tantrums.

When you really love someone, you speak to that one with love. I loved my wife, Angel; she was the last person on Earth I wanted to be hurt. Do you belittle those you love? How kind are you? Would your conversation be accepted in Heaven? Every conversation we have as children of God is to be the kind that can be accepted in Heaven. If your conversations are not worthy of Heaven, they are trash.

It’s time to grow up in the Lord, time to come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). Shed off self and take on Jesus.

You may have tried hard to be like Jesus and never quite reached that place, but now trust the Lord to guide you into Him. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5,6). When you make decisions without taking the Lord into account, you are not trusting in the Lord with all your heart; you are leaning to your own understanding. Paul acknowledged the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4). How much do you rejoice? When you grumble, complain, you are not rejoicing. You are not rejoicing in the Lord when you pout; when you give in to temper tantrums, you are not keeping the Word in the forefront. The Word will make you rejoice as long as your heart is in harmony with it. If you have the mind of Jesus, every beat of your heart is in rhythm and harmony with the Word of God. You wouldn’t change a word of it.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6). Be careful, be anxious for nothing. When you are apprehensive you show a lack of faith; you have not put the problem into the hands of God. Some people insist they are trusting God, but anxiety betrays them. They simply will not accept the truth that would make them free. Paul knew the truth because he knew Jesus and the power of the truth, the greatness of it.

With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Pray with thanksgiving, and God will direct your paths. Why would you grumble about the paths God directs you on? If your heart is right with God, you know His paths are right; the Holy Spirit will help you know. He is there to be your guide.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Many Christians do not have a mind of peace because they have not let the Word of God be first in their thoughts.

In praying for the disciples, Jesus said, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17). He didn’t ask that they be taken out of the world, but that the Lord shouldest keep them from the evil (John 17:15).

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you (Philippians 4:9). If you do what Paul preached, live in the Lord the way Paul lived, then you will have peace, God’s peace.

Paul showed his heart to the people: I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:12,13). Have you learned to be abased for the sake of Christ or are you happy only when everything is going your way? No matter the circumstances, you can have peace and joy in the Holy Ghost when He dwells within you.

Paul learned not to murmur and complain about the situations he found himself in. No egotism was involved when Paul said he could do all things through Christ. Christ gave him the strength, the power to do God’s will. No matter how many people turned against him, Paul did God’s will through one source: Jesus.

When self is lifted up saying I can! I can! you are speaking the language of the world and of the devil. No matter how strong you feel within yourself, know that you must do everything through Him; you must have His help. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). The Jesus mind is a mind of the riches of Heaven.

A mind that can draw on Heaven’s supply is blessed indeed. Remind yourself again and again that your God will supply; your God will do it. Instead of praying empty prayers, come to the place that you pray with God’s faith. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). The just will live, walk and breathe through the faith of the living God. God will supply; God will supply! Faith in your God’s wonderful promises will bring the sunshine on any cloudy day.

It’s time to let the Holy Spirit flush your mind of every doubt, purge you of anything unlike Jesus. To flush means to flow, to spread suddenly and rapidly. Suddenly and rapidly let the Holy Spirit cleanse your mind with the water of life.

To flush is to become clean, washed or emptied out with a sudden rush of water. The Holy Spirit uses the water of life to flush your mind. A sudden or rapid flow of the Holy Spirit cleanses your mind when that is your will, and then the clean water of the Holy Spirit flows in. You may try to do the flushing yourself only to find it doesn’t work. Let the Holy Spirit do the flushing.

To flush is used in describing birds driven from cover. Like a flock of birds flushed from cover, the Holy Spirit will flush those unpleasant thoughts from your mind that you can’t get rid of. The thoughts will fly away like the birds, be gone from your mind with the wind. If you let the Holy Spirit flush your mind with the living water, you can be free in your mind. That living water bubbling in your soul gives Him water to work with. However, if it is not in your soul, His hands are tied. When you reject the water of life, you reject the Word of God. If you reject the Word, the Holy Spirit cannot help you in your mind. The mind then is leeched. You have a will of your own, and the Holy Spirit never frees your mind against your will. You must want to be free. To receive salvation, you had to want it, and to have your mind set free through the Holy Spirit, you must want it.

To purge means to cleanse, to be rid of impurities, foreign matter or undesirable corrupting elements. The Holy Spirit will purge your mind, cleanse it of guilt and sin. He purged your soul with the blood of Jesus when you received salvation.

To purge means to clear away, to become clean, clear or pure. A purged mind is clear, clean, pure; it’s a mind like the mind of Jesus. You may have thought you could never have a mind like His, but through the Holy Spirit you can. Remember, the blend of Paul’s mind with the Holy Ghost was a wonderful combination. Paul put everything into the Lord’s hands. He wrote to Timothy, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (II Timothy 1:12).

Think On These Six Things:

What have you been thinking about? Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). Examine every attribute Paul tells you to think on. Know what they mean, what is incorporated in each one, and then you will know what to receive in your mind to make you happy, healthy, strong in the Lord and free from depression, oppression. When your mind is living in the things of God, you can do what needs to be done.

Some people keep their minds on their hurts, anger and the way they have been mistreated. Minds are leeched by grudges, strife, rebellion—blocked from the joy, peace and love of God. Those with leeched minds cannot or will not take directions from the Holy Spirit because they don’t think on the right things.

True: Think of the true, the faithful. God is faithful; His truth is faithful. He is faithful in all His promises, loyal, reliable, exacting, accurate, correct. Let no thought dislodge the truth from you or contaminate the truth. The Word is truthful; the promises of God are facts that agree with reality. Entertain the truth and reject thoughts that are not real, not genuine; reject counterfeits. Treasure your mind and treasure that which is of God.

Honest: Think on that which is honest. Thinking on the dishonest is depressing. People who may have been dishonest in their dealings with you are not worth space in your mind. Think of things done in an honorable way. God deals with us in Heaven’s honor. Think on how He deals and not how dishonest people deal. Think on the respectable; God is respectable, all His Word is respectable.

Think on people who are commendable, edifying and blessing, on those who will not lie, cheat or steal. Take on the thoughts of God and separate yourself from the devil’s influence.

Think of that which is trustworthy, upright. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace (Psalm 37:37). Think of those who keep their word. God has kept His Word. You will receive strength from keeping your mind on Him, not on the unfair, the insincere. The devil wants you to bind up your mind with those full of deceit. He wants you to think on his crowd, not God’s people whom he hates. He doesn’t want you to think about God’s fairness with you; he tries to twist your thoughts, telling you that God is not fair. God is always just, fair and honest.

Fair methods gain honest results. Show fairness and sincerity. Think of the fair methods of the children of God who are truly devout. How careful they are with their lives! How much they love God! They keep their promises to you and others. Diligently they deal in business as well as in every other aspect of their lives, not cheating or lying.

Just: Think on that which is just, right or fair. God’s way of working always is right and fair. However, if you let the devil in, he will try to make you think God’s way isn’t right, twist God’s way in your mind. The devil will cause problems and tell you that God did them. He will afflict your body and blame it on God. God does not give sicknesses; He is the healer of sicknesses. It’s the devil who brings sickness, disease and death. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8). Most of the ministry of Jesus was spent in healing the sick. If sickness came from God and not the devil, then Jesus worked against God all the time He was here on Earth. He, of course, did not work against God. In fact, God said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 17:5). God gives good things. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). Think on the Word of God.

Think on a just person, not injustice. Be prepared to take a just rebuke from the Lord. If the Holy Spirit rebukes you, it is a just rebuke. Just rebukes are the only kind the Lord gives. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons (Hebrews 12:5-8).

To be just is to be true, accurate, exact, correct. God is exactly right; His way is right. Look at people who do things God’s way. How wonderful are the just in the eyes of God! He will bless, help you, give you a just measure.

Pure: Think on the things that are pure. To be pure is to be cleansed. Have all your thoughts purified, cleansed with the Spirit of the living God by the blood of the Lamb. To be pure is to be free from anything that adulterates or taints. Keep your mind away from that which contaminates.

To be pure is to be without defects, to be perfect, faultless, undefiled. Look for the good things in God’s people and rejoice in them. The virgins in the bridal company will be pure, clean and undefiled. To be pure means to be unmixed with anything else.

Lovely: To be lovely is to have qualities that inspire love, affection or admiration. Do you have the qualities that inspire people to be rid of hatred? If you talk hatred, if you harbor hateful thoughts, you will not inspire others to be rid of their hatred. Show love. It is difficult to show love to those who are mean, cruel. Love will pray for their souls, not endorse their sins.

Some people are lovely because of their ways. God’s beauty in people shines forth. His lovely Spirit, His lovely Word, His lovely actions in a person are a delight to see; it’s the Jesus beauty; Jesus was lovely in all His ways. What a delight it is to meet people with lovely ways! Dwell on those who are lovely in their ways and not those who are cruel and destructive.

Lovely people are highly enjoyable. The word and truths of God are highly enjoyable. You see godly ways in people, and are blessed. What inspiration, what happy thoughts do you get from those who grumble and complain? Keep the joy of the Lord with you. Thank God for your blessings and rejoice.

A lovely person is morally or spiritually attractive. A person with lovely thoughts is gracious, easy to be around.

Good Report: The last thing Paul tells us to think on is a good report. How many times a day do you think of a bad report? Do you have a great need? Turn to the good report; use it. Remember Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Some of you lose all your joy at the end of the month because your funds are so low. You are not dining on the joy of the Holy Ghost but on the depression of bills. Has depression ever paid a bill? God supplied Paul’s needs, and when you have the qualities Paul had, He will supply yours, too.

How rich do you think God is? Would you bankrupt Him by asking for His help to pay your just and honest debts? Of course you wouldn’t. He can help you meet your bills when you take Him as your partner, when you are faithful in tithing and giving unto Him. Reach out to Him in faith, nothing doubting. Think on His miracle of supply. Think of the ones the Lord has taken care of and have the faith that He will take care of you, too.

When you are in need, run to the Word of God and claim His promises. Daniel, Job, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, Paul and many saints of God have helped me use the faith of God, put me on the mountain top. When the promises of God are settled in your mind, you have peace and are ready to be blessed.

Some people want God to fill their meal barrel, but they do not really use faith for it to be filled; they don’t think it will happen. God works through faith and love—His faith, His love. Jesus said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). God wants you to know He is life for the body, the mind, the soul. Without Him is no life. Without God, your supernatural help is just the devil. The devil is death; God is life. When you have life, you have everything. With Jesus in your soul you will live forever. The physical body will die—unless it is raptured first—but the real you, the soul will live forever. Jesus has conquered death for you; He will be with you always.

I won’t have to cross Jordan alone;
He died all my sins to atone.
In the darkness I see,
He’ll be waiting for me.
I won’t have to cross Jordan alone.

A good report is good news. Do you give good reports? Your reports depend on what is on your mind. If you are sick but expecting God to heal you, it’s a good report. You are not thinking about how sick you are, but how the Lord will heal you. Have you ever been depressed and then listened to someone who had wonderful news? You were lifted into a refreshing new realm. It was just what you needed.

If you have problems at work, don’t take those problems home to your family. Carry home good things. The stories, the life of Jesus are good reports. A good report is one with favorable results. Tell the good things. When you make those you live with happy, you are working on your own happiness, too. I made my wife, Angel, happy and that happiness came right back to me.

A good report is agreeable, dependable, reliable. It’s genuine, real, sound. What kind of mind do you have? Judge it by how often it dwells on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of a good report.

Paul’s mind and the Holy Spirit blended together in perfection, and that’s the way, saith the Lord, the Bride’s mind will be.

Paul closed his letter to the Philippians by saying, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (Philippians 4:23). Paul trusted in the grace of the Lord; he had a mind of grace. The Lord strengthened that mind one day completely, and Paul wrote what the Lord said to him: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). What a mind Paul had! If Paul could have the blend of the Holy Spirit after the terrible condition his mind had been in before his conversion, you certainly can have that blend if you want it. Decide with Paul that you can do all things through Jesus Christ; you, too, can have that same blend.

Salvation and Healing Are Offered to You

You who are unsaved, come to Jesus today. That mind and soul of filth and ungodliness can be cleansed. Pray this prayer: Oh, God! Save my soul! Forgive me for all my sins. I’m so sorry, Lord, that I sinned against you. But I have come home. I’m going to serve you, Lord, the rest of my life. Now I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in, Jesus!

If you meant that prayer, He has come. Start reading your Bible. Live in the Word of God. Pray, fast and keep close to the Lord, and go on to be baptized in the precious Holy Ghost.

You who are sick and afflicted: I am a servant of the living God. I’m not a healer, but I believe in the power of prayer. I’m a believer in the promises of God’s healing. He heals heart conditions, cancer, paralysis, any sickness or disease. If you have a child to be healed, agree with me for the Lord to heal that one. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:19). Lord, here they are. As a servant of the living God with authority from Heaven to minister your power, I bring the sick and afflicted to you. Through your wonderful gifts, you bring healing to the people. In the holy name of Jesus through the gift of miracles and the gifts of healing it comes through the power of the Holy Ghost: Heal! in the holy name of Jesus. Heal! in the almighty name of Jesus!

The healing power is flowing; feel His presence now. That power through His faith and love will stay in your body or in the body of your loved one to work and get you and your loved one well. It is promised in the Word, and God stands by His promises.

Yea, saith the Spirit of the Lord: Live in my Word. My Words spoken through my Spirit are life to you. Treasure them; treasure them. Treasure my Word in your mind, not just in your soul; then you will treasure my ways and you will have my thoughts instead of yours. You will have my ways instead of yours, and you will walk in my greatness and you will use my peace. You will use my strength. You will use my joy. You will use my laughter, and you will delight in the way of your Lord. Your mind will be clear. The enemy will not be able to torture you with that which is unpleasant. The enemy will not be able to torture you with that which is weak. The enemy will not be able to torture you with that which is unclean. You will have the thoughts, the holy thoughts of your Lord, and you will dine daily in the presence of your Lord. I will be with you and you will be with me. You will have the mind that I can talk to, the mind that I can teach, the mind that I can guide, the mind that can be a blessing to my Kingdom in this final hour, a mind that will help bring in the lost throughout the whole earth, saith the Lord.

You can, indeed, have the mind of Christ like Paul, and then your mind will blend with the Holy Spirit like his.